Red Tape

This picture says it allll. DTBF is about magic, freedom, redemption and beauty. And. At the same time there is a massive amount of red tape.

So much so — at times, I’m baffled I keep going. Yesterday, during this pandemic we were planning on teaching a live streamed class in my friend’s backyard so — naturally the neighbor was cutting down their tree. The participants would not have been able to hear me or the music.

We had to scramble by running inside to move furniture minutes before the class started. At that point — a participant said, “Can you cover up the window behind you?” So we scrambled again by using our banner with enough red tape to hold it in place. Notice the frantic placement of the tape. What a metaphor!

Can you imagine the logistics of coordinating trainings inside of prisons that are based on rules, rules and more rules?? And each prison has a different set of rules depending on their security level and where they exist in the country.

Some prisons are very firm about what colors you wear while another prison doesn’t even have a policy around that. One prison allow pens, while the others don’t. One prison will let us film, while another won’t allow a voice recorder. Then! Imagine running a nonprofit on top of managing those logistics?!! A Board of Directors, fundraising and volunteers who want to dance with you — some for the right reasons — some not. Then imagine my co-dependent relationship sprinkled on top of allll that?!

Weeeeeeee.

Thank gawd dancing is our offering!

During our live streamed class, my sister said she teared up during a few of the songs and when I called home last night my mother could hear the difference in my voice — and I slept! I can only imagine what our women in lockdown will feel when we offer more live streamed classes.

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All of the choreography comes from our 13 prisons!